There is an element to the debate about the war in Iraq that I find very disturbing. Increasingly, the debate centers around not what America should do, but what is easiest to do. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to invade, that is no longer the relevant point. The salient point is what we need to do now. If the United States pulls out of Iraq it is very clear it will descend into chaos and become a failed state - a base of operations for radical Islam.

If we do pull out, what is our plan to deal with Iraq in the coming years? Are we going to play the blame game like we do with every other political situation? The American people need to step up, finish what was started and support the United States and Australia in their call for patience to win this war. Pulling out is simply not a viable option and the protesters at the Allen Street Gate would better serve America and the troops if they put all their efforts into winning. Winning actually used to mean something, but now losing and scoring political points seems to be the order of the day. Our enemies gain strength from our defeatist talk and make the mission all that much harder. If we stay in Iraq until the war is won, there will be a grateful nation with a free people, who represent a beacon of hope in a part of the world dominated by fear and totalitarianism. That is our best hope and any other course of action that ignores the fate of the Iraqi people should be recognized as garbage that will produce another generation of refugees analogous to the Vietnamese boat people.